The Legacy of Bias

The Legacy of Bias

Robert D. Bullard

Beverly Wright

Publisher:

NYU Press

DOI:10.18574/nyu/9780814799932.003.0003

This chapter examines how bias figures in government response to disasters such as hurricanes, droughts, and floods. Focusing on natural disasters that have occurred over the past eight decades, including the 1927 flood along the Mississippi and the 1999 Hurricane Floyd in eastern North Carolina, the chapter highlights the impact of race and class dynamics on vulnerability and adaptation. It considers the claim that “natural” disasters are in fact acts of social injustice perpetuated by government and business on the poor, African Americans and other minorities, and the elderly, and that measures to prevent or contain the effects of disaster vulnerability are not equally provided to all. It also looks at the ways that black farmers were subjected to institutional racism when applying for the Department of Agriculture's disaster relief.

NYU Press Scholarship Online requires a subscription or purchase to access the full text of books within the service. Public users can however freely search the site and view the abstracts and keywords for each book and chapter.